Drive-chain link and wheel.



No. 673,749. A Patented m 7, I90l.

a. a. nowa. DRIVE CHAIN LINK AND WHEEL.

(Application filed May 22, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

failmw Illl Ii W. a: A

UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLENN G. HOWE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE EWARTMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVE-CHAIN LINK AND WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 673,7et9, dated May '7,1901.

Application filed May 22, 1900- T0 coil whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known thatI, GLENN G. HOWE, of Indianapolis, Marion county,Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drive-Chain Linksand Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a partial sideelevation of a sprocket-wheel, showing. the application of the chainthereto, the links thereof being partially in section. Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of one of the said links, and Fig. 3 is a detailsectional view of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to an improvement in the links of drive-chains andin their adaptation to the sprocket-wheels with which they are employed;and it consists, mainly,in forming on the under or rear side of the hookof the link a longitudinal recess. This construction not only affectsthe relation of the chain to its sprocket-wheel, but it affordsanotherimportant benefit in respect to the link itself, for it overcomesthe difficulty which has been experienced heretofore in the manufactureof the links of drive-chains by reason of the liability of the metal toshrink and to crack in the book, which is necessarily made thicker thanthe other portions.

In the drawings, 2 represents the body of the link, which may be of anysuitable construction, and 3 is the hook.

Instead of forming the rear side of the hook, which constitutes one ofthe end portions of the link, of simple cylindrical section, as before,1 form in the same a recess 5, of less width than the distance betweenthe side bars of the link, at a point immediately contiguous to said endportion, which extends partially around the end portion in the directionof the length of the link and preferably through a part only of thedepth of the metal. The sprocket-Wheel 6, with which the chain is to beused, has between its teeth cross-ribs 7, of less width than the teeth,which extend at right angles to the teeth and are therefore parallelwith the recesses on the rear side of the hooks of the links, so thatwhen the chain is applied to the wheel these ribs will engage Serial No.17,508. (No model.)

and fit in the recesses and will find a bearing on the bases thereof.Therefore although the presence of the recesses lessens the weight ofmetal in the links it does not impair the bearing-surface of the hooksupon the sprocket-wheel, and I thus attain the purposes of my inventionwithout lessening the efficiency of the chain or increasing itsliability to wear by reason of diminished bearing-surface. The linksconstructed as above described are superior in strength to links havingthe unrecessed hooks commonly used heretofore. Shrinkage during castingis prevented, and when my improved link has been cast it will be foundthat the hook is sound and free from flaws, and when annealed theconversion of the metal into malleable condition will be much morecomplete than has been possible heretofore. A

It will be understood that the form of the link may be varied withoutdeparture from my invention as defined in the following claims, sinceWhat I claim is l. A link for drive-chains, having in the rear side ofits end portion a longitudinal recess of less width than the distancebetween the side bars of the link at a point immediately contiguous tosaid end portion, said recess extending only partially around the endportion and adapted to engage cross-ribs of a sprocket-wheelsubstantially as described.

2. A sprocket-wheel having between its teeth cross-ribs of less widththan the teeth, adapted to engage longitudinally recesses in the hooksof the chain; substantially as de- GLENN G. HOWE.

Witnesses:

CLINTON E. PROUSE, H. D. GORDON.

